Stories
by eepps96
Summary: The most awkward things can happen when someone else in your family is up in the middle of the night, but some of the most amazing too


Boruto rolled out of bed. He found his house shoes vaguely scattered around his room and slipped them on, making his way towards the kitchen.

It always happened. Always at 2:36 in the morning Boruto had to get up, and had to get a drink of water. His body just wouldn't let him go to sleep otherwise. You would think he would have more control of his twelve year old body, but for right now, the only thing on his mind was quenching his thirst.

That is until he reached the stairs. He almost started his journey down them but out of the corner of his eye he saw a light was on.

Since performing his late night 'ritual' he noticed no one was ever up at this time. But tonight his Dad was sitting on the couch, looking through what Boruto could only assume was a book.

Hey snuck his way down the stairs, making sure that he didn't make a sound. He knew what floorboards creaked when you stepped on them, making it a point that he avoided. He was almost the-

"Why aren't you in bed?" His father said slightly turning his head, still looking at what was in his hands.

"Jeez Dad! You never let me at least think you didn't notice me!" Boruto protested as he stood up straight from his crouched position, letting out a huff.

"You've got to work on hiding your chakra better. I know it's difficult since you have a lot like I do, so we can work on that tomor- technically today- since its Sunday." Naruto said, looking up from his hands to give his son a smile. Boruto hid the fact that he was excited to train with his Dad, even if it was just for chakra control. But a small smile did sneak out, not unnoticed by his Dad.

"But that still doesn't answer my question, why aren't you in bed?"

Boruto groaned.

"I was thirsty, that's all... why aren't you in bed?" Boruto asked back, maneuvering to the front of the couch.

"Oh, I can't ever sleep well without your Mom home. I know she needs to spend time with your Aunt and all, but I just can't sleep." Naruto explained while shifting his legs off the couch to make room for his son.

"It's a good thing she isn't here, or she would smack you for having your feet on the couch." Boruto taunted while sitting down.

"And that's why we don't tell her." He said with a sly smile. Naruto looked back down at what Boruto could finally make out.

It was a children's book.

A simple book that his Mom read to him sometimes before bed, and still occasionally to his little sister.

It was about a baby elephant with a lion for a Dad. The elephant would get strange looks from the other baby elephants with elephants for parents, but the baby elephant didn't care because he loved his Dad. Just a typical kids story about acceptance and all that.

But why was his Dad...

"Dad, why are you reading that?" Boruto asked, a bit confused.

"Oh! Well uh... I like em I guess, they're nice and have happy endings, and I can read em pretty fast too." He Dad said with a chuckle, scratching his face a bit to hide his embarrassment.

"But didn't your parents read them to you too? Like some of these Mom said even her Mom read to her."

Boruto wasn't dumb, he knew his Father's parents were dead, but surely they had been around long enough to read him stories, right?

Naruto looked at his son with his eyes a bit wider than usual, before they softened again and a small smile graced his face.

"Boru you may not think so, but you're lucky. You're able to live in such a peaceful time with a whole family..." He hesitated before continuing.

"I wasn't even a day old before my parents died."

It was like he hit a rock. Just a complete smack, it took him a moment to remember to inhale before trying to speak.

"Wh-really? That's so... how?" Boruto couldn't really form a sentence before his father laughed slightly and stood up, ruffling his son's hair.

"That's a long long story for when you're older." He said, walking over to where their family kept all their books, putting the one he had back on the shelf.

Boruto's shoulders sunk in. Why wasn't he allowed to know? He knew people died, he knew that it happened every day, so why can't he know?

"But... you always say that whenever I ask you about this kind of stuff! Like what you did in the war and how you trained and all the missions you went on... why don't I get to know now? Mom always tells me about her past when I ask, why don't..."

Boruto didn't finish his words before his father knelt down in front of him, one hand on his shoulder.

"Your Mom didn't have an easy childhood, but she's fine with talking about it because she knows all this is reality..." He paused.

"Some days I still feel like this is a dream. That you, your sister, your Mom aren't really there, and I feel like if I start talking about my life before you all it'll all come back and I'll realize that it is a dream..."

That was stupid. That was the stupidest answer Boruto could have ever asked for. In fact it was so stupid, he said that.

"That sounds really stupid."

His father burst into laughter, straightening back out to his full height.

"I bet it does! But when you grew up with no family, no friends, and no one to come home to for as long as I did, you can't really help it." His father said as made his way back towards the stairs, leaving Boruto on the couch with the words he just said still running through his mind.

Maybe he was lucky. Maybe he was lucky to have a Mom and a Dad and a sister. To be a good student and be on a good team. To not know real suffering, and to be able to live in this world freely.

Maybe...

"Comin' to bed?" His father asked at the foot of the stairs. Boruto snapped back to reality and turned around towards his Dad.

"Y...yeah." He said as he got up off the couch, watching his father start up the stairs. He started that way as well, before stopping.

He jogged over to the bookshelf and grabbed the book his father was reading.

"Hey Dad... do you wanna read this... to me?" He asked while not looking his Dad straight in the face to see the smile he knew was there.

"...sure."


End file.
